Inertial air cleaner and silencer



Jan- 1, 1952 A. s. CHIPLEY INERTIL AIR CLEANER AND SILENCER Filed Aug. 15, 1947 0f @f J @NVENTR' ff@ t?? TML @im non Patented Jan. 1, 1952 INERTIAL Am CLEANER AND siLENcEn Alfred S. Chipley, Mundelein, Ill., assignor to Burgess-Manning Company, Libertyville, Ill., a. corporation of Illinois Application August 15, 1947, Serial No. 768,738

2 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for cleaning and silencing a stream of gases having liquid or A* of the wall. The opening may be a simple sharpsolid particles entrained therein, and particularly to' a combination air cleaner and silencer wherein particle removal is accomplished by reason of the inertia of the particles.

The object of the invention is to provide a combined air cleaner and silencer in a single unit which requires practically no more space than a similar silencer alone. A further object is to provide such a combined unit wherein the particle separation is accomplished without the use ofiiltering materials or liquid baths, whereby a reasonably eflicient separator which requires minimum or no servicing is provided.

Further objects and the many advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fis. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one form of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a different form of the invention.

A Wide variety of intake silencer and air cleaner constructions has been developed and used with varying degrees of eiliciency and satisfaction. Units in which these two functions are combined are also known and are in use. However, substantially all air cleaners employed in conjunction with or in combination with intake silencers have employed either filtering material to remove entrained particles or relay upon the scrubbing action of liuuidbath for this purpose. Such equipment requirescareful attention and frequent servicing in order to maintain it in operating condition. Centrifugal and other separators of the inertial type heretofore known are not generally adaptable to mobile applications because of the relatively large space requirements for such devices. While not so limited, the structure employed in carrying out the cleaning function of the combined unit herein described is particularly applicable where weight and space limitations require a compact unit.

In the combined air cleaner and silencer illustrated in Fig. 1, an enclosure is provided by shell I, inlet end wall 2, and outlet end wall 3. The shell is preferably, though not necessarily, cylindrical. A partition or baille 4 divides the enclosure into an inlet end chamber 5 and an outlet end chamber B. An air inlet opening 1 is provided in the central area of inlet end wall 2 for the passage oi a. stream of air into the device. This opening need not be exactly centered in wall 2, but it should be spaced from the periphery 15 near, but spaced from, inlet end wall 2.

edged orifice or may be beaded or otherwise suitably iinished, as shown.

A perforated open-ended air outlet tube 8 passes through partition 4 and connects chambers 5 and 6, extending toward but terminating short of inlet end wall 2. A similar perforated outlet tube 9 passes through outlet end wall 3 and extends toward but terminates short of partition 4. A suitable snout IU, which may be integral with outlet tube 9, is provided for the convenient coupling of the apparatus to a connecting conduit.

A clust trap I I is mounted in inlet end chamber The dust trap is a receptacle of suitable shape and size having a mouth I 2 in alignment with air inlet opening 1. The shape of dust trap mouth I2 is preferably similar to that of inlet opening ..1'. A gap is left between dust trap II and inlet wall 2 for the passage of air from inlet end opening 'I to an annular passageway between dust ed at intake terminus of the intake line or Vconduit. Where dust outlet spout I4 is open to the atmosphere, the apparatus is necessarily installed upstream from the blower or air pumping equipment whereby the shell enclosure is continuously partially evacuated and the air is thus caused to ow into the device through inlet opening 1. For operation of the unit in this manner, the resistance to the flow of air into the inlet end chamber 5 through dust trap mouth I2 must be greater than that of air inlet opening 'I in order to avoid the inward iiow of air through dust trap I I, prevent turbulence in the dust trap, and cause all air entering the apparatus to do so through air inlet opening 1. The structural characteristics required to bring about this result are well known. It is essential to proper operation of the unit that inflow of air through the dust trap be prevented by properly balancing flow resistances, as described.

Immediately upon passage through air intake opening l, the air stream abruptly turns,

spreading to flow radially in al1 directions through the gap between dust trap Il and inlet end wall 2 at the periphery of the inlet opening. Entrained particles, having greater density. and

3 4 therefore greater inertia than the gases, tend to A thorough understanding of the invention continue their movement in the direction of the herein described will immediately suggest many incoming stream and project through mouth l2 possible modications involving changes in the of dust trap Il, thus separating themselves from form or arrangement of the several elements of the air stream. The gases pass laterally and 5 the unit. Those shown and described are inthen downwardly Within inlet end chamber 5, tended merely to exemplify the invention and leaving the chamber by means of conduit 8. show its mode of operation. The full scope of The air may flow? into this conduit eitherthrough'y the' invention is intended-to be" limited only by the perforationsprovided in its Walls or'through theappendedclaiins.

the open end I6. The cleaned gases flow into 10 The invention is claimed as follows:

outlet end chamber 6 and from the apparatus*` 1.Apparatus for cleaning and silencingastream Va perforated outlet conduit 9. NCES-producing of air comprising-incombination, a shell form- PllSaiOnS are damped O1 subs'familllyV elmiing an enclosure and having an air outlet opennated as the gases pass throughthe .successive 1 ing vtherein and' an` air inlet opening centrally Chambers and perfOrated tubes." :It Shouldv be vllrlocated in one Wallthereo a dust trap comprisnoted that a limited degree of silencing would be ing a yeceptagiehaving a mouth in spaced aligned Obtained by use of the rst section Oulx-The relationvrto said' air inlet opening within said Second Section Outlet end Chamber s' greatly enclosure and an outlet at a lower extremity enhances the silencing elciency of the unit. there-@fopen to the atmosphere and a perfo Solid or liquid particlespassing into trap Il 20 rated @amended Outletltube passing through pass'bygmtythrough@ oPenend'O'f SM2-1t '.4- l sai-d sneu' and extending a substantial distance In `the air cleaneiwandf silencer-:comblnation im@ Said .enC1OSu1.e f unit illustrated in Fig. 2, a shell-.19,1v including 2,; '.Apparatuslfor .cleaning,and -Si1ecinga end walls 2Q and. Eifforms anenclosure or cham'- Stream of an. comprising, in combination, .,n berx'he Side wams of Shen' '9 are preferably" '25elcngated shell having a transverse partition" thouglrnot necessarily,cylindrical. Anair inlet .,eren forming an inlet; end, chamber, and, ant c opening 23is provided in the. central area of end Outlet ...en-d Charnbei, an an, inlet opening cem WallZil and =an1air outlet opening 2d :is provided l. ra-ly 10C-ated in theend Ofksad Shen nd. open; ina sideiwall of .shelll9-v A suitable outlet conng imo-,Said met end chamber. a pac1e re Flu-G-Off'dlllct Weges through air' Outlet Open- *sweeptame mcunteuwitnin said iniet-end'cnamber H1524 andgopens mm cpamergg" A tl'lbl inspaced'relatlon to said V"shell, 'saideceptaclef" msses'thrmgn an Openmg 1.1m end a having; a mouth in alignment With-saidiairinlet in alignment with air inlet opening '23. -Tube 26,. Opening, a. smut extending downwardly from. the. whichforrns the dust-trap,rproiects'1nto theshell lowe. extremity of .Said .receptacle andpassing .A enclosurg 'toward' 'end Wally 2a but termmapes 'ithrough said shell `and opening'to theatmosphere S'lCIt'-Oth1S lWt-11; leavillg'a gap thlOllg-hwhlch' a@ a point Without said Shenl perforated-open; an" mayow afvt'rpafssmg mmughz lmet air ended 'tube' passing through-*said `partition andv @Pel'lllgSf #The 1nne1'-end 'Pf tub@ 6 guay ber extending a substantial distance-into*saidinlet" pm'taly closed by a, fupnel'mesejctton "3 con, end chamber, and asecond-'p'erforatedtub'e'passe verging 110- an 019I1111g-29 "Whlch 1S thef'mouth y40e-"imc Atlhroughsaid shell and'fe'xtendin'g a substani. of .the'dusttrapfrv Thelowerorouter. end of tube".A tial distance into Said Outlet endchambe.

26 imay beA closed'formay leadftoa closedecoinpartrnent, or itV may. be openfto .the atmosphere. ALFRED 's' CHIPLEY' The'entireninner.surf-ace of chamber Ztfis lined REFERENCESCITED- with-a" suitable thicknessofsound absorlziing'ma-A r l v u terial, `sucli'as .hair felt.: A perforated'innenshell 5 lhef ftcgwmtg rerencesaref woord inthe lznaybe-employed to retain the sound absorbo 1S pa' en Y i ing material in position-:a UNITED STATES yPATENTSy f Operation :of 4the. deviceof .Fig. 2 is similar to T v s f that .of Fig.` ,-1, described above.- -Particlesfenwu Duelgf.; Novpablgfzf trainedin vthe air stream entering the apparatus 919249: Ruddima-n h. Apr-'-20fiff1909a;; as indicatedbyarrow 3 I -passinto .the dust. trap-1 1 8723752 f Kami-.ath 5" I Aug'. @s-1932.1 through vmouth 29.and..the cleaned.. gases pass 2196491.. l Chip1ey"'," Apk9f1940g. fromthe apparatus .throughoutlet conduit 25, as 2265 343 f1 Bourne. n Deb'gg' 1941,.;u indicated by ...arrow 32m.Thegsound.absorbing55,1- material. lining chamber..22 absorbs .a substan- FOREIGN-PATENTS tial .part of the sou-ndenergy..which-.Would v.other- Number. Country-f Date wisey be audible through I,inlet .opening .23, Hthe r-v 635,564 .Francefg .Jan;-14,.1923fr;v dust trap., or through. the shell Walls. Thus, the 416,390-- Germanyi.; JJulym, 1925?-v device operates to 'prevent the. passage of .both i B0 n particles .and sound.r Y 

